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Camden, London, England
(2008 – 2010)

Ou Est Le Swimming Pool were an electro pop band based in Camden, London, England. They are most known for their track ‘Dance the Way I Feel’ and the Armand van Helden remix included on several mixes over the summer of 2009.

The band first formed as a three piece in 2008 when late founding member Charles Haddon met up with other members Joe Hutchinson and Caan Capan. Alex Starling joined the band soon afterwards.

After a concert at Pukkelpop festival (Kiewit, Belgium), on Friday August 20th, 2010, the band’s frontman, Charles Haddon, committed suicide. Haddon was reportedly “deeply upset” that he’d landed on a female fan during the band’s show after he dived off the stage. His manager, Sam Farr, stated the fan’s father had suggested he might take legal action after claiming that his daughter had suffered three damaged vertebrae due to his crowd surfing.

The singer had spoken to her father on the phone after the show, and then drank beer and vodka before hanging himself with a belt in a car park backstage. He was found to have 197mg of alcohol in his blood, which is more than twice the legal drink-drive limit.

The London three-piece were in Europe playing a number of festivals and were due to perform as part of Australia’s touring Parklife festival the next month. They were also set to embark on a headline tour of the UK in October.

I listened to 'Dance the Way I Feel' for the first time in a long time today. I don't even like this band that much, but every time I hear that song it just really touches me since I remember so incredibly well how Charles' death was in the news. I just checked when it happened and I realized it was in 2010. Gosh, it really feels like yesterday. I had no idea it's been 4 years already...

I saw their last show at PKP (which was awesome btw) and even stood right next to Charles after he had landed on that girl. I could really see in his eyes that he was sorry for making that sudden jump into the public. But I never imagined that the situation with that girl was so grave and certainly not that he would commit suicide because of it. When I heard the news the morning after I was devastated, I still like their music very much but it used to bring a smile on my face... it still does in fact but with more mixed feelings in the bag. Such a tragic loss. I'm still sorry for all people that were close to him. To me he seemed like someone I could've grabbed a beer with in another life. But unfortunately he'll stay forever young. Rest in peace.